Children's Home run by Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited in Liverpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 1 Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have learning disabilities. The home is privately owned and managed.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in December 2016 and the manager registered in February 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Until recently, there were two children living in the home. There is currently one child living in the home. This report is reflective of the two children’s experiences.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2022

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2022 Full Good 05/01/2022 Full Good 03/03/2020 Full Good 15/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 3

p.2

outstanding

Children receive exceptional care centred around their individual needs. Staff have high expectations of children, and the bespoke care and emotional warmth they provide enable children to make significant and sustained progress.

p.3

outstanding

Children moving in and out of the home have excellent, sensitively planned moves. Children have the chance to spend time with staff before they move into the home, and those leaving have the opportunity to meet staff from the home they are moving to. Because of this, children move with confidence, build trusting relationships at the earliest point and settle well.

p.3

outstanding

Both children now attend education and have 100% attendance. This is significant progress from their starting points. When children have not been in education, the manager tenaciously challenges local authorities in pursuit of this. Staff work closely with teachers to develop a consistent approach to managing children’s communication and behaviours. This reduces barriers to learning and has resulted in children making significant progress.

p.3

outstanding

Staff have high expectations of the children and ensure that their experiences are not limited because of their learning disabilities. If children want to do something, staff strive to make it happen. One child wanted to ride a rollercoaster; this was achieved on their fourth visit to a fairground after previous visits were carried out to increase the child’s sensory tolerance.

p.3

outstanding

Staff use a range of communication aids to ensure that children’s voices are heard. In one child’s school, they have worked closely with the occupational therapist and speech and language therapist to develop aids to maximise the child’s communication. This has given the child increased opportunities to share their wishes and feelings and make choices about their care.

p.3

outstanding

The physical and emotional health of the children are priorities. Children are registered with local health services. Staff promote healthcare and communicate to children the benefits of good health. The positive impact of this for a child who would not previously attend health appointments is that they are now attending with confidence.

p.3

outstanding

External professionals comment on how much the children have developed since moving into the home. They report that communication is excellent and that the manager and staff understand the children’s needs exceptionally well. One social worker said, ‘They are invested in [name of child] and this comes across in how positively they communicate and how much they care.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 4 Staff go above and beyond expectations to show children that they are loved. A very high standard of care is provided to the children, making them feel valued and listened to. Staff actively model positive behaviours and attitudes and challenge negative behaviours effectively using a therapeutic approach. Everyone in the home is clearly proud of all that the children have achieved.

p.3

outstanding

Children are safe and protected from harm. Children have comprehensive risk assessments which detail appropriate strategies to reduce risks. These are understood and followed by the manager and staff. One child has made extraordinary progress in understanding their own risks and now asks staff for personal space before becoming emotionally dysregulated. This has led to a reduction in the number of incidents the child is involved in.

p.4

outstanding

Children’s behaviour support plans are based on the home’s therapeutic model. Staff are aware of this model and apply it throughout their practice to provide children with consistent care. This results in children feeling safe. A specialist consultant working with the home said, ‘[Name of child] felt safe due to the safe base staff created with consistency; whatever time of the day you visit and whichever staff member is caring for children, the care offered is the same.’

p.4

outstanding

Staff are all trained in safeguarding practices and procedures. They are reminded of these in team meetings and supervision sessions. All mandatory training is completed, and child-specific training is carried out before children move into the home or when additional areas of learning are identified. This includes training in autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, self-harm and intensive interaction. As a result, staff have the skills and knowledge to meet children’s needs effectively.

p.4

outstanding

Holding a child to keep them safe is used as a last resort. When necessary, staff use physical restraint in line with the home’s policies and procedures. Children and staff have the opportunity to discuss these incidents. Discussions with children take account of their individual communication needs and emotion charts and communication books are used to ensure that children’s voices are captured after all incidents. All records of physical intervention are scrutinised by the manager to review practice and consider the effectiveness of the restraint used.

p.4

outstanding

Safer recruitment and health and safety practice mean that only suitable staff work at the home and that it is a safe place in which to live. The physical environment for children is safe and secure and protects them from harm. Social stories are used to increase children’s understanding of evacuation procedures, and they take part in regular fire drills.

p.4

outstanding

The manager and staff have strong and effective links with local authorities and local authority designated officers. The response to allegations is timely and thorough, and children’s safety is a priority over the course of any investigation. Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is ambitious for children and the staff team. She leads the home with children at the heart of her practice and is clear that ‘this is their home’. The manager values the children and staff and this is reciprocated. The manager is influential in changing the lives of the children living at the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is knowledgeable about the model of care used in the home, and she shares this knowledge with staff to ensure it underpins their practice. Consequently, staff deliver research-informed care confidently and with insight into children’s needs.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example and is very much present in the home. She talks positively about children and takes part in their daily life. The manager oversees all staff and uses this to celebrate good practice or identify areas for learning and development. The manager’s presence in the home means that staff feel highly supported and valued.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a very good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. This insight is gained through the use of effective monitoring and review systems and management oversight. The manager has created a learning culture where staff members and external professionals are welcomed to share their expertise with others. One staff member has delivered training on intensive interaction, and a speech and language therapist has shared her knowledge of communication books.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers and staff receive regular, reflective supervision. Staff find supervision supportive and use it to consider children’s progress and their own training and development needs. The manager understands that children’s behaviours can be overwhelming for staff and she uses supervision as a space for staff to talk openly about the emotions evoked by working in the home. Annual appraisals take place and consider feedback from managers and peers. Appraisals would be further enhanced with the addition of feedback from children and external professionals.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers make child-centred decisions about children coming to live at the home and ensure that staff have the skills to meet their needs as known at the time of admission. Consideration is given to the needs of the children already living in the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The culture of the home is characterised by high expectations and aspirations for all children. Staff have confidence in managers. The ethos and objectives of the home are demonstrated in practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The requirement and all recommendations raised at the last inspection have been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 6

p.5

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of children and other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Keys Group Progressive Care & Education Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Maybrook House, Second Floor, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

p.7

Inspector

Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1248043 8 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8